HerbRally

In this episode of The Herbalist Hour, I sit down with herbalists Sam Roberts and Renée Camila from Now and Then Herb School.

We explore what it really means to trust yourself as an herbalist, especially in a world where imposter syndrome runs deep. 

Sam and Renée share how building intimate relationships with plants can shift your confidence, your practice, and your understanding of what it means to "know" something.

We also talk about their origin story as collaborators and educators, the philosophy behind Now and Then Herb School, and how the...

In this episode of The Herbalist Hour, I'm joined by herbalist Laura Madeline, with guest co-host Rosalee de la Forêt.

Laura shares her journey from nursing to herbalism, following an intuitive calling that completely changed her path. We talk about bioregional Ayurveda, working with the seasons, growing herbs, and what it's like running an herbal nursery and CSA.

We also explore her work supporting mothers, her Backyard Harvest project, and how plants can guide us back into relationship with the land.

Laura also asked me to share her resources page, a thoughtfully c...

🌿 Get 15% off your first order with Kokora
Use code HERBRALLY15 at KokoraLife.com

In this episode of The Herbalist Hour, I sit down with herbalist and founder of Kokora, Ric Scalzo. Many of you may know Ric as the co-founder of Gaia Herbs, but today we focus on his newest venture and the deeper philosophy behind it.

Ric shares how Kokora's products go from farm to bottle, rooted in regenerative organic agriculture and a commitment to true herbal integrity. 

We explore the difference between regenerative and organic practices, the role of bioferments and...

In this episode, meet the organizers behind the Wild Indigo Herb Fest and get a behind-the-scenes look at how this one-of-a-kind herbal gathering came to life.

From a rainy sugar shack in Northeast Ohio to the rolling hills of Kentucky, this festival is rooted in connection, community, and a shared love of the plants. The Wild Indigo team has woven together their favorite elements of herbal conferences to create something truly special.

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🌿 Featuring keynote speakers Linda Black Elk and Marc Williams, along with a diverse lineup of herbalists, tea...

In this special keynote episode, we're sharing The Life-Saving Magic of Herbing It Up with herbalist, educator, and community leader Lottie Spady, recorded live at the 2025 Great Lakes Herb Faire.

In this powerful and heartfelt talk, Lottie shares how her journey into herbalism transformed not only her physical health, but also her sense of purpose, community, and connection to the natural world. Through her story, we're reminded of the deep, life-changing potential of building relationships with plants as true allies.

Huge thanks to Lottie for granting permission to share this keynote, and to Anna and...

In this special episode of The Herbalist Hour, Rosalee de la Forêt turns the tables on HerbRally founder and longtime host Mason Hutchison for a wide-ranging, heartfelt conversation about rebuilding, community, and the person behind the podcast.

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What starts as a "comeback episode" becomes something deeper: a reflection on major life transitions, self-care, friendship, fatherhood, herbal practice, and the many passions that make Mason who he is.

Along the way, Rosalee guides the conversation while surprise video questions and messages from fellow herbalists appear throughout the episode.

In this episode of The Herbalist Hour, I sit down with herbalist, teacher, and long-time community mentor Betzy Bancroft to explore the heart, craft, and deep science behind her new book Herbal Pharmacy: The Science and Magic of Preparing and Administering Plant Medicine.

Betzy has been teaching herbal medicine making for more than three decades. She co-founded the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism, mentors clinical interns, presents at the Vermont NOFA Winter Conference, and serves on the advisory board of United Plant Savers. She also teaches and leads plant walks at the legendary Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary...

This episode is brought to you by FOOD GENIUS

A year-long mentorship from Asia Dorsey + Justin Robinson for folks craving a deeper relationship with food, ancestry, and embodied wellbeing.

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In this clip from The Herbalist Hour episode 59, Asia Dorsey shares the story behind the West African dish Red Red — a vibrant meal made with red palm oil, black-eyed peas, peppers, and plantains.

Asia reflects on her time living in Ghana, learning directly from local food traditions, and how that experience reshaped her relationship with ancestral foods. She also spe...

This episode is brought to you by FOOD GENIUS

A year-long mentorship from Asia Dorsey + Justin Robinson for folks craving a deeper relationship with food, ancestry, and embodied wellbeing.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER

In this episode of the HerbRally Podcast we're joined by herbalist Asia Dorsey.

She answers 10 questions, as the title suggests. 

You'll learn:

This episode is brought to you by FOOD GENIUS

A year-long mentorship from Asia Dorsey + Justin Robinson for folks craving a deeper relationship with food, ancestry, and embodied wellbeing.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER

Herbalist and author Patricia Kyritsi Howell joins Mason and co-host Rosalee de la Forêt to talk about the brand-new second edition of Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians. 

Patricia shares how decades of walking the mountains have deepened her relationships with plants like bloodroot, sarsaparilla, and sassafras, weaving folk history with practical clinical insight.

We also to...

If you love hot sauce as much as I do, and you love learning about herbalism through food... this class is a good'n 🔥

HOT SAUCE | Ancestral Communication Through Food as Medicine

Food geniuses Asia Dorsey and Justin Robinson break down the ethnobotany of hot sauce, why so many cultures use heat as medicine, how fermentation boosts flavor, and the many health benefits woven into this fiery tradition.

It's fun, practical, and super informative — all about one of my most beloved condiments.

This 90-minute pre-recorded class also includes:

Today on the Herbalist Hour I'm joined by author, illustrator, and Appalachian folk magic practitioner Rebecca Beyer, along with my special co-host Rosalee de la Forêt. We dive deep into Rebecca's newest book, The Complete Folk Herbal, exploring everything from ethical wildcrafting to plant history, folk medicine-making, and the lived stories that shape her work.

Rebecca shares her thoughts on learning from many teachers, cultivating authentic plant relationships, avoiding "guru-ism," and keeping humility at the center of herbal practice. We talk about sustainable foraging, the realities of plant lust, and how she hand-illustrated every page of t...

In this clip from Herbalists After Hours, jim mcdonald shares one virtue he believes is essential for herbalists: kindness.

Drawing on Octavia Butler's line, "Kindness eases change," jim reflects on how change — whether personal, cultural, or relational — is rarely easy. But kindness can soften the process.

We talk about kindness toward others, kindness toward ourselves, and the deeper roots of the word "kind" — connected to kin and nature — reminding us that we are not separate from each other or the living world.

In a culture where unkindness is often normalized, this is a gentle b...

🌿 Enroll in Medical Botany: Foundations in Ancient Plant Medicine

Enrollment is now open for April Punsalan's 13-week apprenticeship focused on wild plant medicine, plant evolution, botany, Ayurveda, and the 6 tastes.

Enroll by Monday night and receive the Wild Apothecary medicine-making course FREE (tinctures, oils, salves, extractions with primarily wild plants).

👉 ENROLL HERE

🌲 Episode Description

In this episode of the Wild Herbs Podcast, April dives deeply into the medicine, botany, and spirit of Pine — an ancient evergreen ally that shows up when we need resilience the most.

Pine has...

Medical Botany | A 13-Week Journey Into the Living Language of Plants

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If the free preview lit a spark… the full Medical Botany program is where that spark becomes a lifelong relationship with the plant world.

This course isn't about memorizing what an herb "does."

It's about learning to see like a botanist, feel like an herbalist, and move through the landscape with a deeper sense of belonging.

Created by botanist and herbalist April Punsalan, with guest teachings from ethnobotanist Nishanth Gurav, Medical Botany is a complete 13-w...

🌿 $7.77 eBook Sale (Feb 1–7) — Don't Miss It

KhadiYah Preciado is hosting her annual eBook sale in honor of Black History Month!

Grab her featured books — including The Biblical Herbalist, Everyday Herbs, Recipes From the Earth, Good Smells, and Kiddie Kitchen Apothecary — all for $7.77 through February 7.

GET THE BOOKS

This episode is a replay of my wonderful conversation with herbalist and author KhadiYah Preciado, host of the beloved YouTube channel Her Healthy Home.

We talk about:
• Herbal gardening
• African herbalism
• Her evolving writing + books
• The importance of rest
• Involv...

Medical Botany Preview with Wild Herb Academy

LEARN MORE & REGISTER FOR FREE

In this short solo segment, I share an exciting opportunity from our friends at Wild Herb Academy — free access to six lessons from Medical Botany: Foundations in Ancient Plant Medicine.

This free preview goes far deeper than basic plant ID. April Punsalan and ethnobotanist Nishanth Gurav teach you how to see plants the way botanists and traditional healers do: through patterns, form, environment, and structure.

Inside the free lessons, you'll explore:
• How to recognize plant patterns in the fiel...

FREE Virtual Herbalism Conference presented Herbal Academy
February 15 - 20, 2026
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In this episode of The Herbalist Hour, I sit down with herbalist and educator Lindsey Feldpausch for a rich conversation about what a wholistic approach to herbal education truly means. Early in the episode, Rosalee de la Forêt pops in unexpectedly and joins the discussion, adding even more insight and warmth to the conversation.

Lindsey shares her early plant story from Detroit and explores why wholeness in herbalism includes everything from botany and phytochemistry to formulation, energetics, clinical thinking, and d...

The 2025 Rooted Medicine Circle FREE Mini-Course is now LIVE!

Learn how to make herbal remedies that you can confidently rely on.

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In honor of the reopening of the Rooted Medicine Circle, we're replaying our Herbalist Hour episode with Rosalee de la Forêt & Emily Han.

For full shownotes, and to get the Mandarin and Evergreen Shrub PDF recipe, CLICK HERE. 

In the free Rooted Medicine Circle Mini Course, you'll find out how to: 

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path — Episode 24.

In this lyrical and deeply reflective episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin offers a meditation on beauty — not as surface aesthetics, but as a lived, relational experience at the heart of healing work.

Wolf explores how beauty arises through attention, praise, and personal affection — and why naming what moves us is not exclusionary, but an act of generosity. Drawing on vivid imagery from flowers, music, birds, lovers, landscapes, and community healers, he reminds us that beauty is subjective, contextual, and inseparable from our histories, cultures, wounds, and joys.

Rat...

In this clip from The Herbalist Hour Episode 145, jim mcdonald breaks down one of his most foundational teachings: stress isn't one thing — and the herbs you choose should reflect how a person is stressed, not just the intensity of it.

Jim explores different stress patterns (sluggish, foggy, irritable, angry, overwhelmed) and how they point toward different herbal qualities — aromatics, bitters, nervines, and combinations. He digs into skullcap, vervain, chamomile, humoral temperaments, and the "frustrated / petulant child" pattern often described in older herbal writings.

This clip is classic jim: practical, deeply rooted in traditional herbal energetics, and...

After an 11-month break, I'm back in the saddle with clinical herbalist Aron McNicholas for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with terrain theory vs. germ theory—and expands into live blood analysis, modern lab testing, spagyrics, Weston A. Price-inspired nutrition, and why being in relationship with plants still matters.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Aron McNicholas is a clinical herbalist and practitioner based in Indiana, working with clients in-person and virtually (with a strong focus on cancer support). 

He's studied with a wide range of teachers, blends traditional herbalism with modern assessment tools, and runs Har...

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path — Episode 23.

In this thoughtful episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin reflects on what it means to be of service as a plant healer — and why generosity, care, and contribution sit at the heart of folk herbalism.

Wolf explores the motivations that draw people to herbal work, alongside the realities of sustainability and livelihood. He shares practical ways herbalists and herbal businesses can serve their communities, including sliding scales, deferred payments, bartering, volunteer work, scholarships, donations, and profit-sharing with aligned causes.

This episode offers a clear reminder that service is a...

In this informative and grounded talk, clinical herbalist Liane Moccia shares some of her most trusted herbal strategies for building a strong fertility foundation.

Drawing from both clinical experience and current research, Liane walks through four foundational herbal allies she regularly uses in her fertility and preconception practice — herbs chosen for their antioxidant activity, stress support, sleep benefits, and overall role in supporting egg and sperm quality.

This video is ideal for anyone:
• Planning for pregnancy
• Actively trying to conceive
• Supporting fertility alongside IVF or other assisted methods
• Interested in evidence-based, holistic f...

In this special Winter Solstice edition of The Herbalist Hour, Mason sits down in person with one of his closest friends and longtime herbal ally, Nick Moya.

Nick and Mason first met over a decade ago while studying together at the Columbine School of Botanical Studies, and this conversation feels like two old friends weaving together stories, science, herbal wisdom, and deep curiosity.

Nick shares his personal path into herbalism, his love of medicinal mushrooms, and how herbal knowledge shows up in his daily life — not as a clinical practitioner, but as a deeply engaged hu...

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path — Episode 22.

In this powerful and wide-ranging episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin speaks directly to the moment we're living in — a time of immense challenge, ecological strain, cultural pressure, and profound possibility.

Wolf reflects on the crossroads facing herbalists, healers, and culture-shifters of all kinds, exploring how fear, grief, and uncertainty can become sources of clarity, motivation, and purposeful action. Rather than retreating into resignation or victimhood, we're invited to deepen our awareness, sharpen our senses, and remember our place within the living world.

This episode weaves together them...

🌿 Become a Professional Herbalist with Green Path Herb School

Enrollment is now open for the Herbalist Certificate Program, a year-long, immersive training designed for those ready to dive deeply into herbalism — whether you're pursuing a professional path or looking to build a solid, well-rounded foundation.

Classes begin January 5, 2026, with the option to attend online or in person in Missoula, MT. Students meet each Monday for a full day of study covering botany, body systems, materia medica, medicine making, and the science and spirit of herbal healing.

With 430+ hours of class time, guided projects, and l...

🌿 Become a Professional Herbalist with Green Path Herb School

Enrollment is now open for the Herbalist Certificate Program, a year-long, immersive training designed for those ready to dive deeply into herbalism — whether you're pursuing a professional path or looking to build a solid, well-rounded foundation.

Classes begin January 5, 2026, with the option to attend online or in person in Missoula, MT. Students meet each Monday for a full day of study covering botany, body systems, materia medica, medicine making, and the science and spirit of herbal healing.

With 430+ hours of class time, guided projects, and l...

In this short episode, we listen to Denise Cusack as she walks us through the U.S. donation and distribution space for Herbalists Without Borders.

This audio is extracted directly from a YouTube video tour filmed at her sanctuary, where she explains how HWB inventories donations, batches herbal products, distributes seed grants, and supports clinics, community projects, and mutual aid efforts nationwide.

You'll hear how HWB:

🌿Receives and tracks donated herbs, supplements, body care products, containers, and tincture materials

🌿Crafts inhalers, pain rubs, blends, flower essences, and other care kits for commun...

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path — Episode 21.

In this reflective episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin explores the idea that among all the plants we cherish, there may be one green ally whose presence, timing, symbolism, or healing effect plays a uniquely meaningful role in our lives.

Wolf shares how a personal plant may appear during transition, heartbreak, celebration, or illness — offering medicine, emotional clarity, inspiration, or companionship. A plant ally might be one we've known for years but only now truly hear, or an unexpected species that arrives precisely when needed.

We're invited to sl...

Spice Rack Medicine – Winter Online Series 2026

A cozy, self-paced kitchen herbalism course from Jade Alicandro that explores culinary herbs, folk medicine-making, bone broth, food energetics, adaptogens, nutritive herbs, seaweeds, medicinal mushrooms, and easy medicine you can make right in your home kitchen.

Registration is open now through Dec 12

👉 LEARN MORE & REGISTER

Today we're revisiting my delightful interview with community herbalist and educator Jade Alicandro, originally released two years ago as Episode 82 of The Herbalist Hour.

In this conversation we dive into bioregional herbalism, weeds as medicine, food-as-medicine practices, kitchen folk...

🌿 Grab 13 FREE Herbal Resources
Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and get instant access to a beautiful 91-page Botanical Anthology sampler — full of seasonal recipes, remedies & plant magic. Plus, unlock 12 more herbal freebies!

👉 GET THE FREEBIES 

In this deeply honest conversation, Ashley Elenbaas of SkyHouse Herbs shares how yoga quite literally saved her life — helping her heal from an eating disorder, substance use, and the inner voices that once told her she was not enough.

Ashley reflects on taking her very first yoga class at age 12 in Minneapolis, discovering embodiment for the first time...

In this moving excerpt from Episode 68 of The Herbalist Hour, Dr. Tieraona Low Dog offers a deeply grounded reflection on what self-care truly means — and why she believes we can let go of the word "self" altogether.

She speaks on love as something that must include ourselves, the importance of quiet and time in nature, and why the voice we hear in solitude is often the one we most need to trust. Drawing from lived experience, family, and the natural world, Dr. Low Dog reminds us that we are both profoundly strong and deeply fragile — and that both...

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path — Episode 20.

In this episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin explores one of the deepest inner tensions faced by healers, activists, caregivers, and culture-shapers alike: the longing to create real, visible change — and the emotional weight of what we cannot control.

Through poetic reflection and grounded wisdom, Wolf speaks to the outcome-oriented heart that lives inside so many of us — especially herbalists, healthcare providers, parents, justice workers, and environmental advocates. He explores our shared desire to relieve suffering, to fix what is broken, to bring about lasting cures and total solutions — and the...

Join legendary clinical herbalist Paul Bergner in an intimate, living-room conversation on herbalism as a calling, not just a career. With over 50 years of hands-on clinical practice, teaching, and mentorship, Paul shares rare insight into what truly shapes a great herbalist—diet, sleep, case-based learning, critical thinking, and deep relationship with plants.

In this wide-ranging monologue, Paul reflects on:

His early work in prisons and community clinics
Why follow-ups matter more than textbooks
How herbalists are really trained
The role of "calling" in healing work
Why the future of herbalism is be...

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path.

In this episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin explores one of the most essential — yet often misunderstood — aspects of the plant healer's journey: finding and defining your true niche.

Through poetic reflection, grounded teaching, and decades of lived experience, Wolf unpacks what it really means to discover your unique role within the larger healing field. From folk herbalists and family practitioners to growers, medicine makers, teachers, clinicians, and culture builders, he illuminates how each healer carries a distinct "individual medicine" — a signature blend of talents, interests, aesthetics, convictions, and calling.

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path.

In this episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin invites you into a soulful, provocative, and deeply clarifying journey through 20 essential life questions — prompts designed to reorient you toward meaning, vitality, purpose, and the truth of who you are.

Through story, metaphor, and grounded self-inquiry, Wolf explores what it really means to live deliberately:
What would you do if this were your final year?
What is worth your precious time, energy, devotion, and attention?
What habits, obligations, or environments drain you — and which nourish your joy, creativity, and calli...

If you want all my favorite calendula recipes, remedies, and my Calendula for Radiant Skin mini-ebook… you can grab everything free right here:
👉 HerbalFreebies.com

Now—let's talk calendula.
If there's one herb that visibly transforms your skin, it's this golden beauty. It's basically skincare in plant form — gentle, potent, and far more effective than most products on the shelf.

Why I love calendula for radiant, resilient skin:
1️⃣ Supports skin repair (irritation, chapping, recovery)
2️⃣ Helps keep skin hydrated + elastic
3️⃣ Gentle enough for babies, effective for every age
4️⃣ One of my favorites for soothing...

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path. In this episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin offers a deeply heartfelt teaching on the essential — yet often overlooked — practice of tending to ourselves as healers, caregivers, herbalists, and helpers of all kinds.

Through story, reflection, and grounded wisdom, Wolf explores the emotional, physical, and spiritual costs of caring for others, and why our own vitality, rest, creativity, nourishment, and joy must remain at the center of our work.

If you've ever felt depleted, overstretched, compassion-fatigued, or burdened by the weight of wanting to "fix the whole damn world," this one...

In this clip from The Herbalist Hour, Alex Williams of First Curve Apothecary joins me for an honest, grounded conversation about what it really feels like to promote your work in the herbal world. We dive into the tension between authenticity and business, why marketing often feels gross or performative, the pressure to "sell yourself," and how herbalists can share their offerings without feeding the hype, fear, or scarcity that so often drives conventional marketing.

Alex speaks candidly about learning to trust that people are "enough" as they are, navigating capitalism as a village herbalist, and finding...